Energy saving method and system for optical network, storage medium and computer program product

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide an energy saving method and system for an optical network, a storage medium, and a computer program product. Attribute information of a communication device is acquired by means of a management and control system of an optical network, and the management and control system determines an energy saving strategy on the basis of the attribute information.

Description

Optical network energy-saving methods and systems, storage media and computer program products

[0001] Cross-reference to related applications

[0002] This application is based on and claims priority to Chinese patent application CN202411603225.6, filed on November 11, 2024, entitled “Optical Network Energy Saving Method and System, Storage Medium and Computer Program Product”, and incorporates the entire disclosure of that patent application by reference. Technical Field

[0003] This disclosure relates to the field of communications, and more specifically, to an optical network energy-saving method and system, storage medium, and computer program product. Background Technology

[0004] For telecommunications networks, power consumption mainly comes from service boards, cross-connect boards, fans, power supplies, and control units. Service boards, cross-connect boards, and fans account for about 90% of the total power consumption, while chips and optical modules are the main sources of board consumption. From a network perspective, there is a close relationship between network traffic and energy saving. By adopting effective routing methods to reduce the utilization rate of service boards, cross-connect boards, fans, power supplies, and control units in the network, the energy consumption of network equipment can be significantly reduced, thereby achieving the goal of energy saving.

[0005] By monitoring and adjusting system operating status to maximize energy efficiency, the energy consumption of network equipment can be reduced. Optical transport network equipment, such as optoelectronic converters, cross-connect boards, and amplifiers, are designed with energy saving in mind, but this is limited to the individual device and equipment level. Currently, optical networks lack a network-level energy-saving solution that integrates network energy saving with existing management and control systems. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This disclosure provides an optical network energy-saving method and system, storage medium, and computer program product to at least solve the problem in related technologies that it is impossible to achieve network-level energy-saving solutions that can be integrated with management and control systems.

[0007] According to one embodiment of this disclosure, an optical network energy-saving method is provided, comprising: an optical network management system acquiring attribute information of communication devices; and the management system determining an energy-saving strategy based on the attribute information.

[0008] According to another embodiment of this disclosure, an optical network energy-saving system is provided, including: an energy-saving component, the energy-saving component being disposed in a management and control system, the energy-saving component being configured to acquire attribute information of communication devices and determine an energy-saving strategy based on the attribute information.

[0009] According to yet another embodiment of this disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium is also provided, wherein a computer program is stored therein, wherein the computer program is configured to perform the steps in any of the above method embodiments when executed.

[0010] According to yet another embodiment of this disclosure, a computer program product is also provided, including a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the steps in any of the above method embodiments. Attached Figure Description

[0011] Figure 1 is a hardware structure block diagram of the computer terminal in which the signal transmission method of this embodiment of the present disclosure is operated;

[0012] Figure 2 is a flowchart of an optical network energy-saving method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0013] Figure 3 is a structural block diagram of the optical network energy-saving system provided in the embodiments of this disclosure;

[0014] Figure 4 is a simplified diagram of the north-south architecture of the control system;

[0015] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of the energy-saving control system according to an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0016] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of an optical network data center interconnection system;

[0017] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the interaction process of the connection power consumption adjustment interface according to an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0018] Figure 8 is a flowchart of the internal interaction of the control system under energy-saving conditions of the device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0019] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of power partitioning according to an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0020] Figure 10 is a flowchart of the power consumption adjustment interface interaction of the hardware device according to an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0021] Figure 11 is an interactive flowchart of the network-side energy-saving strategy management system according to an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0022] Figure 12 is an internal interaction flowchart of the network-side energy-saving strategy management system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0023] The embodiments of this disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and examples.

[0024] It should be noted that the terms "first," "second," etc., in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of the embodiments of this disclosure are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence.

[0025] Among related technologies, the telecommunications industry is a key area for energy conservation. Networks themselves consume a large amount of electricity, resulting in significant greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, the telecommunications industry can play a crucial role in achieving sustainable development. Considering economic reasons and corporate social responsibility, the future development of the telecommunications industry will increasingly focus on sustainable development, reducing carbon emissions, and improving energy efficiency. For the network and equipment themselves, there are many ways to make networks "greener." For example, energy conservation in network equipment and components is an important factor; the protocol layer itself, further reducing transmission waste and enabling fast control loops, can also achieve energy conservation; optimized network and path selection can also serve as a means to improve energy efficiency.

[0026] Therefore, based on the network's own situation, operators collect information reflecting the power consumption parameters of the network and nodes, monitor the network's energy consumption, and implement energy-saving measures. These energy-saving methods may include: designing energy-saving control loops; evaluating the effectiveness of energy-saving policies and measures; calculating the total power received and provided by an entity; predicting the reliability of an entity based on power usage; and planning the next maintenance cycle of the entity.

[0027] The method embodiments provided in this application can be executed in a mobile terminal, computer terminal, or similar computing device. Taking a computer terminal as an example, FIG1 is a hardware structure block diagram of the computer terminal on which the signal transmission method of this disclosure is executed. As shown in FIG1, the computer terminal 100 may include one or more (only one is shown in FIG1) processors 101 (processors 101 may include, but are not limited to, processing devices such as microprocessors MCUs or programmable logic devices FPGAs) and a memory 102 for storing data. The computer terminal may also include transmission devices for communication functions and input / output devices. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the structure shown in FIG1 is only illustrative and does not limit the structure of the computer terminal. For example, the computer terminal may also include more or fewer components than shown in FIG1, or have a different configuration than shown in FIG1.

[0028] The memory 102 can be used to store computer programs, such as application software programs and modules, like the computer program corresponding to the signal transmission method in this embodiment. The processor 101 executes various functional applications and data processing by running the computer program stored in the memory 102, thus implementing the above-described method. The memory 102 may include high-speed random access memory and non-volatile memory, such as one or more magnetic storage devices, flash memory, or other non-volatile solid-state memory. In some instances, the memory 102 may further include memory remotely located relative to the processor 101, and these remote memories can be connected to a computer terminal via a network. Examples of such networks include, but are not limited to, the Internet, corporate intranets, local area networks, mobile communication networks, and combinations thereof.

[0029] The transmission device is used to receive or send data via a network. Specific examples of the network described above may include a wireless network provided by a communication provider for the computer terminal. In one example, the transmission device includes a Network Interface Controller (NIC), which can connect to other network devices via a base station to communicate with the Internet. In another example, the transmission device may be a Radio Frequency (RF) module, used for wireless communication with the Internet.

[0030] This disclosure provides an optical network power saving method. Figure 2 is a flowchart of the optical network power saving method according to this disclosure. As shown in Figure 2, the process includes the following steps:

[0031] In step S202, the optical network management system acquires the attribute information of the communication equipment.

[0032] In one exemplary embodiment, the communication device includes a communication device of an optical network and a hardware device of a communication node of the optical network. The attribute information of the communication device includes at least one of the following: forward error correction information of the communication device; modulation format of the communication device; output power of the communication device; configuration information of the hardware device of the communication node; power consumption information of the hardware device; and operating status information of the hardware device.

[0033] In one exemplary embodiment, before the control system of the optical network obtains the attribute information of the communication device, the method further includes: the control system receiving a first energy-saving instruction from the client, the first energy-saving instruction carrying a link connection identifier and a first target energy consumption value.

[0034] In an exemplary embodiment, the management and control system of the optical network obtains attribute information of the communication devices, including: the management and control system obtains attribute information of the communication devices of the corresponding communication link based on the link connection identifier.

[0035] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the communication device includes communication components of an optical network and hardware devices for communication nodes in the optical network. The attribute information of the communication device includes the attribute information of the communication components. The attribute information of the communication components includes, but is not limited to: forward error correction information of the communication components; modulation format of the communication components; and output power of the communication components.

[0036] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the routing controller component of the control system can collect and retrieve the attribute information of the communication device of the corresponding communication link in advance based on the link connection identifier, or it can collect the attribute information of the communication device of the corresponding communication link based on the link connection identifier.

[0037] In an exemplary embodiment, the control system determines an energy-saving strategy based on attribute information, including: the control system determines the energy consumption value of the corresponding communication link based on the attribute information of the communication device; the control system selects the communication link corresponding to the energy consumption value that meets the first target energy consumption value and establishes a communication connection.

[0038] In this embodiment, the energy-saving component calculates the power consumption of each connection based on the input information from the connection controller component and feeds it back to the connection controller component. In one embodiment, the energy-saving component can also obtain the optimal energy-saving path from the intelligent energy-saving component and feed it back to the connection controller component. Based on the feedback, the connection controller component selects the optimal energy-saving path, configures the transmitter and receiver FEC and modulation format, as well as the amplifier's transmit power, through the southbound interface, and completes the connection establishment.

[0039] Step S204: The control system determines the energy-saving strategy based on the attribute information.

[0040] In one exemplary embodiment, before the control system of the optical network obtains the attribute information of the communication device, the method further includes: the control system receiving a second energy-saving instruction from the client, the second energy-saving instruction carrying identification information of the hardware device of the communication node of the optical network and a second target energy consumption value.

[0041] In an exemplary embodiment, the management and control system of the optical network obtains attribute information of the communication device, including: the management and control system obtains the attribute information of the corresponding hardware device based on the identification information of the hardware device.

[0042] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the communication device includes communication components of an optical network and hardware devices of communication nodes in the optical network. The attribute information of the communication device includes the attribute information of the hardware device. The attribute information of the hardware device includes, but is not limited to: configuration information of the hardware device of the communication node; power consumption information of the hardware device; and operating status information of the hardware device.

[0043] In one exemplary embodiment, the control system determines an energy-saving strategy based on attribute information, including: the control system adjusts the corresponding hardware device to a sleep state based on the attribute information of the hardware device.

[0044] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the control system adjusts the corresponding hardware device to a sleep state based on the attribute information of the hardware device, which may be adjusting an idle hardware device to a sleep state.

[0045] In an exemplary embodiment, the control system determines an energy-saving strategy based on attribute information, including: the control system performs an intelligent energy-saving assessment based on the attribute information of the hardware device and the second target energy consumption value carried in the second energy-saving instruction, so as to adjust the corresponding hardware device to a sleep state.

[0046] In this embodiment, the intelligent energy-saving component of the control system provides feedback to the control system on routing adjustment schemes, energy-saving schemes for hardware devices such as power supplies and fan hibernation schemes, and the estimated reduction in energy consumption. During this adjustment process, the intelligent energy-saving component also needs to perform performance evaluation on the adjusted routing scheme. Based on the feasibility of the performance evaluation, it provides feedback to the control system on a new routing adjustment scheme, etc.

[0047] In one exemplary embodiment, the system further includes: the control system periodically acquiring traffic information and energy consumption information of communication nodes in the optical network; the control system performing intelligent energy-saving assessment based on the traffic information and energy consumption information to acquire time-related energy consumption information of different communication nodes; and the control system establishing or adjusting communication links based on the time-related energy consumption information.

[0048] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the control system can periodically collect traffic information and energy consumption information of communication nodes, and perform intelligent energy-saving assessment through the intelligent energy-saving component of the control system to obtain energy consumption information with time attributes, thereby adjusting the communication link.

[0049] In one exemplary embodiment, before the control system of the optical network obtains the attribute information of the communication device, the method further includes: the control system receiving a third energy-saving instruction from the client, the third energy-saving instruction carrying the network domain identifier of the optical network and the network domain target energy consumption value of the optical network.

[0050] In this embodiment of the disclosure, energy saving at the network layer is mainly considered from the perspective of global network optimization. The control system grasps the hardware equipment and connection topology of communication devices and communication nodes, as well as the actual energy consumption, and triggers the global energy consumption optimization mechanism to make adjustments at the level of hardware equipment and connections of communication devices and communication nodes to complete global network energy saving optimization.

[0051] In an exemplary embodiment, the control system determines an energy-saving strategy based on attribute information, including: the control system performs an intelligent energy-saving assessment based on the attribute information of the communication equipment corresponding to the network domain identifier and the target energy consumption value of the network domain, so as to adjust the network service configuration and communication equipment attribute configuration of the optical network.

[0052] In this embodiment, the intelligent energy-saving component of the control system formulates a network-wide optimized energy consumption plan based on input information and sends instructions to the network to adjust the configuration of network services and devices, including service routing adjustment plans and information on power supplies, fans, and devices that need to be put into hibernation after the service routing adjustment. During this adjustment process, the external intelligent energy-saving component also needs to perform a performance evaluation on the adjusted routing plan. Based on the feasibility of the performance evaluation, it feeds back the energy-saving adjustment plan to the control system.

[0053] Through the above steps, an energy-saving method for optical networks is provided. The method obtains the attribute information of communication equipment through the optical network's management and control system, and determines the energy-saving strategy based on the attribute information. This solves the problem in related technologies that it is impossible to achieve a network-level energy-saving solution that can be integrated with the management and control system, thus achieving the effect of reducing energy consumption.

[0054] Through the above description of the embodiments, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that the methods according to the above embodiments can be implemented by means of software plus necessary general-purpose hardware platforms. Of course, they can also be implemented by hardware, but in many cases the former is a better implementation method. Based on this understanding, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this disclosure, or the parts that contribute to the prior art, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium (such as ROM / RAM, magnetic disk, optical disk) and includes several instructions to cause a terminal device (which may be a mobile phone, computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute the methods described in the various embodiments of this disclosure.

[0055] This embodiment also provides an optical network energy-saving system for implementing the above embodiments and preferred embodiments; details already described will not be repeated. As used below, the term "module" can refer to a combination of software and / or hardware that performs a predetermined function. Although the systems described in the following embodiments are preferably implemented in software, hardware implementations, or combinations of software and hardware, are also possible and contemplated.

[0056] Figure 3 is a structural block diagram of the optical network energy-saving system provided in this embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 3, the optical network energy-saving system can be implemented based on the management and control system 30. In this embodiment of the present disclosure, the management and control system 30 is provided with an energy-saving component 310. The energy-saving component 310 is configured to acquire the attribute information of the communication device and determine the energy-saving strategy based on the attribute information.

[0057] In the embodiments disclosed herein, the optical network energy-saving system may also be implemented based on other devices or systems, which will not be illustrated here.

[0058] In this embodiment of the disclosure, as shown in FIG3, the control system 30 further includes other components 320. In this embodiment of the disclosure, the other components 320 may be a connection controller component and a routing controller component, as well as an intelligent energy-saving component disposed outside the control system. In actual implementation, the intelligent energy-saving component is not limited to being disposed only outside the control system.

[0059] In one exemplary embodiment, the communication device includes a communication device of an optical network and a hardware device of a communication node of the optical network. The attribute information of the communication device includes at least one of the following: forward error correction information of the communication device; modulation format of the communication device; output power of the communication device; configuration information of the hardware device of the communication node; power consumption information of the hardware device; and operating status information of the hardware device.

[0060] In an exemplary embodiment, the energy-saving component 310 receives a first energy-saving instruction through the northbound interface of the control system 30, wherein the first energy-saving instruction carries a link connection identifier and a first target energy consumption value; the energy-saving component 310 obtains the attribute information of the communication device of the communication link corresponding to the link connection identifier from the connection controller component of the control system 30.

[0061] In an exemplary embodiment, the energy-saving component 310 determines the energy consumption value of the corresponding communication link based on the attribute information of the communication device, and selects the communication link whose energy consumption value meets the first target energy consumption value to feed back to the connection controller component.

[0062] In an exemplary embodiment, the energy-saving component 310 receives a second energy-saving instruction through the northbound interface of the control system 30. The second energy-saving instruction carries the identification information of the hardware device of the communication node of the optical network and a second target energy consumption value. The energy-saving component 310 obtains the attribute information of the hardware device corresponding to the identification information from the connection controller component and the routing controller component of the control system 30. Based on the attribute information of the hardware device, the energy-saving component 310 adjusts the control of the corresponding hardware device to a sleep state.

[0063] In an exemplary embodiment, the energy-saving component 310 receives the intelligent energy-saving assessment result from the intelligent energy-saving component outside the control system 30, and adjusts the corresponding hardware device to a sleep state according to the intelligent energy-saving assessment result. The intelligent energy-saving assessment result is obtained by the intelligent energy-saving component based on the attribute information of the hardware device and the second target energy consumption value.

[0064] In an exemplary embodiment, the energy-saving component 310 obtains traffic information and energy consumption information of the communication nodes of the optical network from the routing controller component of the management system 30, and sends it to the intelligent energy-saving component outside the management system 30; the energy-saving component 310 receives energy consumption information with time attributes from different communication nodes from the intelligent energy-saving component; based on the energy consumption information with time attributes, the energy-saving component 310 controls the connection controller component of the management system 30 to establish or adjust the communication link.

[0065] In an exemplary embodiment, the energy-saving component 310 receives a third energy-saving instruction from the control system 30, the third energy-saving instruction carrying the network domain identifier of the optical network and the network domain target energy consumption value of the optical network; the energy-saving component 310 obtains the attribute information of the communication device corresponding to the network domain identifier from the connection controller component and the routing controller component of the control system 30, and sends it to the intelligent energy-saving component outside the control system 30; the energy-saving component 310 receives the intelligent energy-saving evaluation result from the intelligent energy-saving component, and adjusts the network service configuration and communication device attribute configuration of the control optical network according to the intelligent energy-saving evaluation result.

[0066] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the above-mentioned optical network energy-saving system may also include different modules, and the naming and functional division of the modules may be selected in different ways according to the actual situation, without specific limitations.

[0067] It should be noted that the above modules can be implemented by software or hardware. For the latter, they can be implemented in the following ways, but are not limited to: all the above modules are located in the same processor; or, the above modules are located in different processors in any combination.

[0068] This disclosure also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program configured to perform the steps in any of the above method embodiments when executed.

[0069] In one exemplary embodiment, the aforementioned computer-readable storage medium may include, but is not limited to, various media capable of storing computer programs, such as a USB flash drive, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), portable hard disk, magnetic disk, or optical disk.

[0070] This disclosure also provides an electronic device including a memory and a processor, the memory storing a computer program and the processor being configured to run the computer program to perform the steps in any of the above method embodiments.

[0071] In one exemplary embodiment, the electronic device may further include a transmission device and an input / output device, wherein the transmission device is connected to the processor and the input / output device is connected to the processor.

[0072] This disclosure also provides a computer program product, including a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the steps in any of the above method embodiments.

[0073] In one exemplary embodiment, the computer program product described above includes a non-volatile computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the methods described in various embodiments of this application.

[0074] Specific examples in this embodiment can be found in the examples described in the above embodiments and exemplary implementations, and will not be repeated here.

[0075] Obviously, those skilled in the art should understand that the modules or steps of the embodiments of this disclosure described above can be implemented using general-purpose computing devices. They can be centralized on a single computing device or distributed across a network of multiple computing devices. They can be implemented using computer-executable program code, and thus can be stored in a storage device for execution by a computing device. In some cases, the steps shown or described can be performed in a different order than those presented herein, or they can be fabricated as separate integrated circuit modules, or multiple modules or steps can be fabricated as a single integrated circuit module. Thus, the embodiments of this disclosure are not limited to any particular combination of hardware and software.

[0076] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solutions of the embodiments of this disclosure, the following description is provided in conjunction with different embodiments.

[0077] Example 1

[0078] This disclosure provides an optical network energy-saving method that integrates network energy saving with the routing and connection management functions of existing network management systems. This achieves network-level energy saving while ensuring optical network performance. Based on the capabilities of the devices themselves, network topology, and service requirements, the optical network energy-saving method created in this disclosure interacts with the routing controller component, connection controller component, and external intelligent algorithms within the management system to achieve energy saving at the device, connection, and network levels.

[0079] In this embodiment, a new interaction interface is defined through three layers: the southbound and northbound interfaces of the management and control system, and interaction with external intelligent entities. Figure 4 is a simplified schematic diagram of the northbound and southbound architecture of the management and control system. As shown in Figure 4, the northbound interface is mainly an intent interface, receiving requests from upper-layer clients, which can also be upper-layer network applications. For energy consumption scenarios, it is mainly an interactive interface for energy consumption optimization strategies between the client APP and the management and control system of the physical network domain. The southbound interactive interface is the interface between the management and control system of the physical network domain and network devices. The operator's management and control system uses the southbound interface to complete the collection and configuration of network energy consumption information, as well as the configuration of devices, power supplies, nodes, and the network, to achieve energy saving. Specifically, for energy consumption scenarios, the southbound interface includes interfaces for collecting the energy efficiency of devices and nodes; interfaces for controlling the sleep switches of power supplies, fans, boards, and other hardware; interfaces for collecting network performance data closely related to energy consumption; and interfaces for configuring network routing, etc.

[0080] The control system described in this disclosure is widely deployed in existing networks. Its functions include connection controller components, routing controller components, and fault, configuration, audit, performance, and security (FCAPS) management functions. These control and management functions are consistent with those of the transport network control systems defined in ITU-T G.7701, G.7702, and G.7710.

[0081] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of the energy-saving control system according to an embodiment of this disclosure. As shown in Figure 5, the energy-saving component is set in the control system as part of it. The energy-saving component receives external energy-saving command requests through the northbound interface of the controller (i.e., the control system) and initiates energy-saving operations. Upon receiving the energy-saving command from the northbound interface, the energy-saving component interacts with the existing controller components, including calling the network topology information interface of the routing controller component to obtain network and node hardware and configuration information, energy consumption information, and calling the connection controller component to interact with the establishment, initiation, updating, and deletion of connections. While ensuring the optical layer connection performance, it completes adjustments at the device, equipment, connection, or network level to achieve the purpose of energy saving.

[0082] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the energy-saving component interacts with the artificial intelligence / machine learning module (i.e., the above-mentioned intelligent energy-saving component) through the energy-saving strategy output interface, as shown in Figure 5. The artificial intelligence / machine learning module can be an embedded component or an external APP entity.

[0083] Energy consumption of devices and nodes is typically expressed as power consumption, measured in watts (W). For devices and nodes, energy consumption can be measured in watts per hour, watts per day, etc. Connection energy consumption can be measured in watts per gigabit (Gbit). The total network energy consumption can be estimated by considering the energy consumption of each node.

[0084] In this embodiment, the energy consumption of devices, nodes, etc., is reported to the management and control system as attribute information. Based on the energy consumption, the management and control system formulates an energy-saving plan. The strategy in the energy-saving plan can be based on connectivity, bypassing high-power devices and sites. While formulating the energy-saving plan, the management and control system can interact with external artificial intelligence / machine learning entities as needed to obtain a more comprehensive energy-saving solution. In this embodiment, energy consumption optimization can be based on nodes / devices by concentrating traffic on a few devices and putting idle backup power supplies, fans, and service boards into hibernation, thereby achieving energy savings. In this embodiment, the management and control system can also formulate a network-wide energy consumption optimization plan based on the network-wide energy consumption information at the global network and connectivity levels.

[0085] In this embodiment, the optical network energy-saving method of this disclosure will be introduced first, taking the device energy-saving scheme as an example.

[0086] The power consumption of a device is highly correlated with its currently active functions. For example, the power consumption of a transmitter varies depending on the forward error correction (FEC) and modulation format used. The signal transmission distance of a transmitter is closely related to its transmit power; selecting a transmit power that matches the transmission distance can effectively save energy. The same principle applies to amplifier applications. From a transmission network architecture perspective, to achieve energy savings at the device level, the management system needs to collect data on the actual power consumption of the FEC and modulation formats supported by the transmitter and receiver, as well as the range of transmit power that the amplifier can support, thus achieving energy conservation and emission reduction at the device level.

[0087] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of an optical network data center interconnection system. As shown in Figure 6, the optical network data center interconnection system includes converters, multiplexing and demultiplexing devices, amplifiers, and a control system that supports energy-saving functions. The converters have tunable transmitters and receivers embedded inside.

[0088] In this embodiment, the control system pre-collects or inputs the power consumption of the transmitter and receiver under various FEC and modulation formats, as well as the range of transmit power supported by the collection amplifier. This information collection is accomplished by a routing controller component, which stores this information in the control system's local database.

[0089] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the interaction flow of the connection power consumption adjustment interface according to an embodiment of this disclosure. As shown in Figure 7, the flow includes the following:

[0090] (1) The customer's APP sends a new connection identifier or a connection to be adjusted identifier, the connection energy consumption reduction value or the energy consumption reduction range to the control system.

[0091] In this embodiment, the client APP sends a connection-level energy consumption optimization instruction, namely the first energy-saving instruction, to the network management system. The first energy-saving instruction carries a link connection identifier and a first target energy consumption value.

[0092] In this embodiment, the link connection identifier can be a newly established connection identifier or a connection identifier to be adjusted. The first target energy consumption value can be the connection energy consumption value or the energy consumption reduction rate.

[0093] In this embodiment, the data structure of the data transmitted through the northbound interface is as follows:

[0094] (2) Routing reconfiguration, including transmitter, receiver or amplifier reconfiguration.

[0095] In this embodiment, for newly established connections, the management and control system calculates a path that meets the required energy consumption value based on the node's energy consumption information and completes the configuration distribution. The required energy consumption value can be a first target energy consumption value.

[0096] The interface configuration model for the path distribution per node is as follows:

[0097] In one embodiment, the control system may, based on the connection information it possesses (i.e., the connection identifier to be adjusted) and the energy consumption information of the communication node's hardware, recalculate a path that meets the required energy consumption value and complete the configuration distribution. See the interface configuration model for the newly established connection scenario for the interface configuration model.

[0098] In one embodiment, or in a data center scenario, the management system configures appropriate amplifier output power based on collected data on the energy consumption of transmitters and receivers under different modulation formats and FEC, and based on the link length between adjacent nodes. In this embodiment, the interface content involved in the performance prediction of the new forwarding path is not limited. The data interface model for distributing transmitter and receiver configuration formats and amplifier transmit power is as follows:

[0099] (3) Adjustment confirmation returned by the network device to the management and control system.

[0100] In this embodiment, after configuring the forwarding connection, the network device collects the connection's energy consumption information and returns the result of successful connection optimization configuration to the physical network domain's management system. The data interface adjustment result model for each node is as follows:

[0101] In this embodiment, if the connection optimization configuration fails, the network device will report the reason for the failure to the management system. The data interface adjustment result model for the connection is as follows:

[0102] (4) The control system returns adjustment confirmation to the customer's APP.

[0103] In this embodiment, the physical network domain management system will feed back the success / failure results of the adjustment to the customer APP. In the case of adjustment failure, the management system will also forward the reason for the failure to the customer APP.

[0104] Figure 8 is a flowchart of the internal interaction of the control system under energy-saving conditions of the device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 8, it includes the following process:

[0105] (1) After receiving the connection establishment request, the control system forwards the request to the routing controller component.

[0106] In this embodiment, the connection establishment request can be in the form of a first energy-saving instruction, and the energy-saving component of the control system forwards the first energy-saving instruction to the routing controller component.

[0107] In this embodiment, the energy-saving component pre-collects or writes the correspondence between energy consumption and network configuration, including but not limited to: the mapping relationship between the amplifier's transmit power and the span distance to the next hop node, for example, a 40 km span distance corresponds to power consumption A; the correspondence between modulation format, FEC, and transmission distance per span, for example, the power consumed by transmitting a 40 km span using the Dual Polarization Quadrature Phase Shift Keying (DP-QPSK) modulation format and the Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing with Error Correction (OFEC) modulation format.

[0108] (2) The connection controller component sends a path calculation request to the routing controller component, requesting the output of multiple alternative paths.

[0109] (3) The connection controller component receives the alternative path from the routing controller component.

[0110] (4) The connection controller component transmits information such as the transmitters and receivers, multiplexing and demultiplexing devices, amplifiers, etc., along with the FEC and modulation formats supported by the transmitters and receivers, as well as the transmit power range and cross-segment transmission distance supported by the amplifiers, to the energy-saving component.

[0111] (5) The energy-saving component calculates the power consumption of each connection based on the input information from the connection controller component and feeds it back to the connection controller component. In one embodiment, the energy-saving component can also obtain the optimal energy-saving path from the intelligent energy-saving component and feed it back to the connection controller component.

[0112] (6) The connection controller component selects the optimal energy consumption path based on the feedback received, configures the transmitter and receiver FEC and modulation format, as well as the amplifier's transmit power through the southbound interface, and completes the connection establishment.

[0113] Example 2

[0114] In this embodiment, the energy-saving method for optical networks according to the present disclosure is introduced based on the energy-saving methods of hardware devices such as power supplies and fans.

[0115] The energy consumption of communication nodes mainly comes from service boards, cross-connect boards, fans, power supplies, and control units, among which service boards, cross-connect boards, and fans account for about 90% of the total power consumption of the equipment.

[0116] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of power partitioning according to an embodiment of this disclosure. As shown in Figure 9, power supplies, fans, etc., are distributed in multiple partitions within the device. Fans in communication nodes are also partitioned and isolated by different air ducts. By adopting partitioned power supply, power supplies and fans in idle areas are put into hibernation to achieve power saving.

[0117] Figure 10 is a flowchart of the power consumption adjustment interface of the hardware device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 10, it includes the following process:

[0118] (1) The customer's APP sends energy-saving instructions for hardware devices to the physical network and control system.

[0119] In this embodiment, the aforementioned energy-saving indication can be a second energy-saving instruction, which carries the identification information of the hardware device of the communication node in the optical network and a second target energy consumption value. The second target energy consumption value can be the energy consumption reduction rate. In this embodiment, the second energy-saving instruction also corresponds to network domain identification information, energy consumption reduction rate, etc. The data structure of the interface model is as follows:

[0120] (2) The control system sends information such as power fan energy saving indication, hardware device location distribution and energy consumption reduction to external intelligent energy-saving components. The data structure of the interface model used in the interaction interface between the control system and the intelligent energy-saving components is the same as the data structure of the interface model between the customer APP and the control system.

[0121] The intelligent energy-saving component, based on its internal algorithm, formulates hardware adjustment schemes for network connectivity and device layers, including traffic adjustment, board adjustments, power supply adjustments, and fan adjustments. It suggests redirecting traffic to shared node devices or service boards, thus deactivating some power supplies and devices. In this embodiment, the algorithm within the intelligent energy-saving component can employ conventional intelligent learning algorithms; this disclosure does not impose any limitations.

[0122] (3) The intelligent energy-saving component feeds back the routing adjustment scheme, power supply and fan hibernation scheme, and other hardware energy-saving schemes to the management and control system, as well as the estimated reduction in energy consumption. During this adjustment process, the intelligent energy-saving component also needs to perform a performance evaluation on the adjusted routing scheme. Based on the feasibility of the performance evaluation, it feeds back the energy-saving adjustment scheme, the new routing adjustment scheme, and the shutdown of the power supply and fan to the management and control system. The data structure of the interface model is as follows:

[0123] Interface model for shutting down power and fan:

[0124] (4) through (7) the control system first completes the routing adjustment scheme and the reconfiguration of connections and networks. After ensuring that the adjustment is completed, it initiates power and fan hibernation commands to put non-working hardware into hibernation mode. For devices and hardware that are not in working mode, the corresponding power supply and fan are set to hibernation mode.

[0125] After completing the power supply and device hibernation configuration, the system returns a success / failure result to the physical network domain's management system. In cases of failure, the physical device also reports the reason for the failure to the management system. The interface model's data structure is as follows:

[0126] (8) The physical network domain management system aggregates the success and failure status of adjustments for each node and feeds back the success / failure results to the customer APP. For failed adjustments, the management system forwards the reason for the failure to the customer APP. If a node fails to adjust and the reason for the failure is provided, the customer APP can further adjust the energy consumption reduction based on the reason for the failure and proceed with the energy consumption adjustment configuration process again. The data structure of the interface model is as follows:

[0127] In this embodiment, the interaction process of the internal components of the control system is as follows:

[0128] (1) The routing controller component collects information about the racks and subracks of the power supply and fans, as well as the racks, subracks, and slots where the power supply and fans are located, to understand the partition where the power supply is located and the location of the fans. The routing controller component collects information about the racks, subracks, and slots where the boards are located, to determine the location of the boards.

[0129] (2) The energy-saving components of the control system interact with the routing controller and connection controller components to obtain the actual usage status of the boards. For devices and hardware that are not in operation, the corresponding power supplies and fans are set to sleep mode. For example, in Figure 9, device A is in operation and device B is idle. Then, power board B, as the main power supply board for device B, as well as power supply modules 3 and 4, can be temporarily put into sleep mode to save energy. Correspondingly, the service boards and fans in device B can also be set to sleep mode.

[0130] (3) The intelligent energy-saving component of the control system sends the hibernation command to the communication node through the southbound interface to achieve the hibernation energy-saving target of the communication node's hardware equipment (power supply and fan).

[0131] Example 3

[0132] In this embodiment, the energy-saving strategy for optical networks based on communication links is introduced to illustrate the energy-saving method for optical networks according to this disclosure.

[0133] In this embodiment, the process by which the control system completes the external interface of the energy-saving strategy based on the communication link is as follows:

[0134] (1) The control system periodically extracts information on the traffic and energy consumption of communication nodes. That is, at a fixed time every day, the control system collects information on the energy consumption and traffic of communication nodes. The traffic information can be the traffic information of the main port or the sum of the traffic information of all ports. The energy consumption information refers to the total energy consumption of all devices on the node.

[0135] The data structure of the interface model is as follows:

[0136] (2) The control system provides the traffic and energy consumption information of the communication nodes, as well as the information at certain times, as input to the external intelligent energy-saving components. The intelligent energy-saving components use intelligent means (such as digital twins, artificial intelligence / machine learning algorithms) to establish energy consumption distribution maps at different times of the day, the correlation between traffic and energy consumption, and energy consumption factors that can reflect the energy consumption of nodes.

[0137] (3) The management and control system configures an energy consumption factor for each communication node as an influencing parameter for routing selection, participating in the scenarios of service establishment and adjustment. The energy consumption factor is essentially energy consumption information. When establishing a connection for a service, the management and control system uses energy consumption as an influencing factor for routing selection based on service needs. The data structure of the interface model is as follows:

[0138] NodeEnergyFactor{

[0139] Uint32 NodeID;

[0140] Uint32 EnergyFactor;

[0141] }

[0142] (4) The backup control system or the third-party control system can obtain the equipment energy consumption factor information by reading the energy consumption factor of the communication node through the interface.

[0143] In this embodiment, the interaction process of the internal components of the control system to complete the energy-saving strategy based on the communication link is as follows:

[0144] (1) The control system first collects the energy consumption and traffic of each node, and uses the node energy consumption, traffic and timestamp information as the attributes of the nodes in the routing system, and provides them to the routing controller component. The routing controller component stores the node energy consumption information in the local database.

[0145] (2) The energy-saving component interacts with the routing controller component to obtain energy consumption data, traffic status and timestamp information of each node.

[0146] (3) The energy-saving component provides information such as flow rate, energy consumption and timestamp as input to the external artificial intelligence / machine learning energy-saving algorithm function module (these artificial intelligence / machine learning energy-saving algorithm function modules can be embedded in the energy-saving component or external third-party energy-saving algorithm APP).

[0147] (4) The intelligent energy-saving component can use a factor calculation algorithm to train these data, determine the energy consumption factor of the communication node at a specific time point based on the correspondence between traffic and energy consumption at a specific time point, and feed it back to the routing controller component. The traffic and energy consumption of the communication node are directly proportional.

[0148] (5) The routing controller component configures the energy consumption factor of each communication node to each communication node. In this embodiment, the energy consumption factor information includes two parts: timestamp and routing factor.

[0149] (6) When calculating the connection, the control system estimates the energy consumption of the site after the connection is established based on the energy consumption factor and decides whether to pass through the communication node. The connection can be established to bypass the high-energy-consuming communication node, thereby reducing energy consumption at the connection level.

[0150] Example 4

[0151] In this embodiment, the optical network energy-saving method of this disclosure is introduced based on the network-side energy-saving strategy.

[0152] In this embodiment, energy saving at the network layer is mainly considered from the perspective of global network optimization. The control system understands the hardware devices and connection topology of communication devices and nodes, as well as the actual energy consumption, and triggers a global energy consumption optimization mechanism to make adjustments at the level of hardware devices and connections of communication devices and nodes to complete global network energy saving optimization.

[0153] In this embodiment, during the energy-saving optimization of the network, the control system needs to consider the performance of the adjusted connection in advance to avoid the situation where the bit error rate of the adjusted connection is too high or the connection is unavailable. After completing the performance evaluation of the adjusted connection and ensuring the feasibility of the optimization plan, the connection migration is then completed.

[0154] Figure 11 is an interactive flowchart of the network-side energy-saving strategy management system according to an embodiment of this disclosure. As shown in Figure 11, it includes the following process:

[0155] (1) The customer initiates a request for network-wide energy consumption optimization and adjustment, which is sent to the management and control system.

[0156] In this embodiment, the client APP sends a network domain-level energy consumption optimization instruction to the physical network management system based on historical energy consumption data. The network domain-level energy consumption optimization instruction is the third energy-saving instruction in the above embodiment. The third energy-saving instruction carries the network domain identifier of the optical network and the network domain target energy consumption value of the optical network, i.e., the reduction rate of network domain energy consumption.

[0157] (2) The control system sends the energy consumption information of the node devices in the network (including the energy consumption factor of the node, i.e. energy consumption information), the topology and traffic of the current network, the location of power supply fans in the network, and the configuration information of transmitters / receivers and amplifiers to the external intelligent energy-saving components.

[0158] (3) The intelligent energy-saving component formulates a network-wide energy consumption optimization plan based on the input information and sends instructions to the network to adjust the configuration of network services and equipment, including the service routing adjustment plan and the information on power supplies, fans and equipment that need to be put into hibernation after the service routing adjustment. During this adjustment process, the external intelligent energy-saving entity also needs to perform a performance evaluation on the adjusted routing plan, and if the performance evaluation is feasible, it feeds back the energy-saving adjustment plan to the management and control system.

[0159] After receiving the information from the intelligent energy-saving components, the control system (4) to (7) first adjusts the routing and reconfigures the connections and network. After ensuring that the adjustments are complete, it initiates power and fan hibernation commands to put non-working hardware into hibernation mode. For devices and hardware that are not in working mode, the corresponding power supplies and fans are set to hibernation mode.

[0160] (8) to (9) After the network completes the configuration of the forwarding connection, the control system collects the power consumption of the network, analyzes whether the expected power reduction is achieved, and returns the success / failure result to the customer APP. In the case of adjustment failure, the control system forwards the reason for the failure to the customer APP.

[0161] Figure 12 is an internal interaction flowchart of the network-side energy-saving strategy management system according to an embodiment of this disclosure. As shown in Figure 12, it includes the following process:

[0162] (1) The control system receives instructions through an external interface and initiates global energy-saving optimization adjustments, or initiates global energy-saving optimization adjustments periodically or irregularly according to the pre-configuration of the control system itself; after receiving external instructions, the control system forwards the global energy consumption optimization instruction information to the energy-saving components.

[0163] (2) The energy-saving component interacts with the connection controller component to collect information on the currently established connections, including the physical location distribution of the hardware devices of the communication nodes through which the connection passes, the routing information of the communication nodes through which the connection passes and the configuration information of the nodes, as well as the energy consumption of the current communication devices and communication nodes.

[0164] (3) The energy-saving component provides the collected information as input to the smart energy-saving component.

[0165] (4) The intelligent energy-saving component calculates an optimized network adjustment scheme based on the input data and feeds it back to the energy-saving component. The adjustment scheme is based on rules including: reconfiguring the modulation format and FEC of transmitters, receivers and other devices to ensure that the transmitters and receivers are configured to match the cross-segment distance, thereby saving energy; and avoiding nodes with high power consumption due to device aging by rerouting the connection. Alternatively, it may concentrate traffic to certain devices and boards by rerouting the connection, thereby putting temporarily unused nodes, devices, power supplies, fans, service boards, cross-connect boards, etc. into hibernation.

[0166] (5) During the operation of the energy-saving optimization process, the intelligent energy-saving component will interact with the energy-saving component as needed to further collect data related to connection performance prediction (such as data related to connection OSNR prediction) to output available energy-saving optimization adjustment schemes.

[0167] (6) The intelligent energy-saving component sends the final network adjustment plan to the energy-saving component.

[0168] (7) The energy-saving component interacts with the routing controller component and the connection controller component to complete the network adjustment and achieve the purpose of energy saving.

[0169] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of this disclosure and is not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Various modifications and variations can be made to this disclosure by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the principles of this disclosure should be included within the protection scope of this disclosure.

Claims

1. A method for saving energy in optical networks, comprising: The control system of an optical network acquires the attribute information of communication devices; The control system determines energy-saving strategies based on the attribute information.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The communication device includes communication components of the optical network and hardware devices for communication nodes of the optical network, and the attribute information of the communication device includes at least one of the following: The forward error correction information of the communication device; the modulation format of the communication device; the output power of the communication device; the configuration information of the hardware device of the communication node; and the energy consumption information of the hardware device. The operating status information of the hardware device.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein, Before the control system of the optical network acquires the attribute information of the communication devices, the method further includes: The control system receives a first energy-saving instruction from the client, which carries a link connection identifier and a first target energy consumption value.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein, The optical network management system acquires attribute information of communication devices, including: The control system obtains the attribute information of the communication device of the corresponding communication link based on the link connection identifier.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein, The control system determines energy-saving strategies based on the attribute information, including: The control system determines the energy consumption value of the corresponding communication link based on the attribute information of the communication device. The control system selects the communication link corresponding to the energy consumption value that meets the first target energy consumption value and establishes a communication connection.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein, Before the control system of the optical network acquires the attribute information of the communication devices, the method further includes: The control system receives a second energy-saving command from the client, which carries the identification information of the hardware device of the communication node of the optical network and a second target energy consumption value.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein, The optical network management system acquires attribute information of communication devices, including: The control system obtains the attribute information of the corresponding hardware device based on the identification information of the hardware device.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein, The control system determines energy-saving strategies based on the attribute information, including: The control system adjusts the corresponding hardware device to a sleep state based on the attribute information of the hardware device.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein, The control system determines energy-saving strategies based on the attribute information, including: The control system performs intelligent energy-saving assessment based on the attribute information of the hardware device and the second target energy consumption value carried in the second energy-saving instruction, so as to adjust the corresponding hardware device to a sleep state.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein, Also includes: The control system periodically acquires traffic and energy consumption information of the communication nodes of the optical network; The control system performs intelligent energy-saving assessment based on the traffic information and the energy consumption information, and obtains the energy consumption information with time attributes for different communication nodes; The control system establishes or adjusts communication links based on the energy consumption information with time attributes.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein, Before the control system of the optical network acquires the attribute information of the communication devices, the method further includes: The control system receives a third energy-saving instruction from the client, which carries the network domain identifier of the optical network and the target energy consumption value of the network domain of the optical network.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein, The control system determines energy-saving strategies based on the attribute information, including: The control system performs intelligent energy-saving assessment based on the attribute information of the communication device corresponding to the network domain identifier and the target energy consumption value of the network domain, so as to adjust the network service configuration and communication device attribute configuration of the optical network.

13. An optical network energy-saving system, comprising: An energy-saving component is installed in the control system. The energy-saving component is configured to acquire attribute information of the communication device and determine an energy-saving strategy based on the attribute information.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein, The communication device includes communication components of the optical network and hardware devices for communication nodes of the optical network, and the attribute information of the communication device includes at least one of the following: The forward error correction information of the communication device; the modulation format of the communication device; the output power of the communication device; the configuration information of the hardware device of the communication node; and the energy consumption information of the hardware device. The operating status information of the hardware device.

15. The system according to claim 13, wherein, The energy-saving component receives a first energy-saving command through the northbound interface of the control system, wherein the first energy-saving command carries a link connection identifier and a first target energy consumption value; The energy-saving component obtains the attribute information of the communication device of the communication link corresponding to the link connection identifier from the connection controller component of the control system.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein, The energy-saving component determines the energy consumption value of the corresponding communication link based on the attribute information of the communication device, and selects the communication link whose energy consumption value meets the first target energy consumption value and feeds it back to the connection controller component.

17. The system according to claim 13, wherein, The energy-saving component receives a second energy-saving command through the northbound interface of the control system. The second energy-saving command carries the identification information of the hardware device of the communication node of the optical network and the second target energy consumption value. The energy-saving component obtains the attribute information of the hardware device corresponding to the identification information from the connection controller component and the routing controller component of the control system. The energy-saving component adjusts the control of the corresponding hardware device to a sleep state based on the attribute information of the hardware device.

18. The system according to claim 17, wherein, The energy-saving component receives the intelligent energy-saving assessment result from the intelligent energy-saving component outside the control system, and adjusts the corresponding hardware device to a sleep state according to the intelligent energy-saving assessment result. The intelligent energy-saving assessment result is obtained by the intelligent energy-saving component based on the attribute information of the hardware device and the second target energy consumption value.

19. The system according to claim 13, wherein, The energy-saving component obtains the traffic information and energy consumption information of the communication nodes of the optical network from the routing controller component of the control system, and sends them to the intelligent energy-saving component outside the control system. The energy-saving component receives time-attributed energy consumption information from different communication nodes of the intelligent energy-saving component; Based on the time-dependent energy consumption information, the energy-saving component controls the connection controller component of the management and control system to establish or adjust the communication link.

20. The system according to claim 13, wherein, The energy-saving component receives a third energy-saving instruction from the control system, the third energy-saving instruction carrying the network domain identifier of the optical network and the network domain target energy consumption value of the optical network. The energy-saving component obtains the attribute information of the communication device corresponding to the network domain identifier from the connection controller component and the routing controller component of the control system, and sends it to the intelligent energy-saving component outside the control system; The energy-saving component receives the intelligent energy-saving assessment result from the intelligent energy-saving component, and adjusts the network service configuration and communication equipment attribute configuration of the optical network according to the intelligent energy-saving assessment result.

21. A computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program, wherein, When the computer program is executed by a processor, it implements the steps of the method described in any one of claims 1 to 12.

22. A computer program product comprising a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the method described in any one of claims 1 to 12.

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